Automatic feeder



Sept. 18, 1928.

A. W. LEMMON AUTOMATIC FEEDER Filed Jul y 12. 1922 Patented Sept. 18, 1928.

UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE;

ALEXIS W. LEMMON, or COLUMBUS, onto, As'sIGnoR TO THE JEFFREY MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A COR-PORA ION OF OHIO.

AUTOMATIC FEEDER.

Application filed July 12,1922. Serial No. 574,593.

The present invention relates to certain newand useful improvements in'automatic feeders of the class adapted to control the flow of material from the discharge aperture of a suitably disposed spout, or hopper, into a succession of moving receptacles.

It is the especial object to provide a feeder of the class described having operating mechanism arrangedto' be actuated by the receptacle'moving devices, and adapted to be conveniently. adjusted to or from operating positions.

A further object is to provide devices of the-class described adapted to-be conveniently adjustedto vary'the amount-of material discharged into eachj'successive receptacle.

These and other objects will be fully set forth in the following specification, reference 'rbeing had to the accompanying drawings of which Fig. 1, is a side elevation of the preferred embodiment of my invention arranged to control the loading of the buckets of a conpivoted bucket,

veyor :ofthe well known type. Fig;2;.is a cross sectionalview takenalong the line II-I]Z of Fig. 1. r Fig; 8, is a plan vi'ewof the valve ing mechanism.

- Fig. 4, is a side elevation of the devices illustrated in F 3. Fig. 5, is a side elevation of the devices illustrated in Fig. 1 showing the material controlling valve in its open position.

F 6, is a fragmentary plan view of the operating lever certain parts being broken away to reveal other parts.

Fig. 7, is a detail of the supporting bracket for the actuating-mechanism.

' Like nun'ierals refer to similar parts in the several figures.

In the drawings I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, associactuatated with a conveyor of the well known pivoted *bn'cket type, comprising a series of buckets leach of which is provided at each end .v'ith: a trunnionQ, which trunnions are journaled in apertures of the side bars 3 of a pair of parallel matched endless chains and 5. The adjacent ends, of the side bars 3 are connected together by pintles 6 which extend 7 between the chains 4 and 5"to hold them in spaced parallelism. Journaled' upon the pint/les 6 are flanged rollers 7 adapted to travel along the track rails 8 which. support through the desired As conveyors of this type and guide the buckets 1 path of travel.

are well known in the art, and as they form no part in the presentinvention, furtherdescrlption'is n'otthought to be required at this time.

Positioned above the conveyor is a nozzle 9 adapted to be connected to any convenient sourceof material supply,'such as a spout 10, 01 the like, and arranged to' direct the flow of material therefrom into the buckets of the conveyor. The flow of material from the nozzle 9 is controlled by the valve which comprises a plate 11, at each end of which are upwardlyprojecting wings 12 having apertures through which project the bolts 13 by which the valve llis pivotally connected to the walls of the nozzle 9. Thevalve above, and cooperating with the conveyor chain 4:. The lever 15 is pivotally sup-e ported by the bracket 16 whichis attached directly to the track rail 8, or to its supporting foundation, in such a manner as to insure its rearward movement, and

the desired relation between the lever 15 y and the chain 4. A formed on the bracket 16 carries the pivot bolt 18 upon which the lever 15 is supported without obstructing the space between said depending lug l7 24; there is positioned @3 11 member 25 chain and lover. The operating-leverl5' extends forwardly from the supporting IOU gitudinally j of these parts may be so varied as to change ill operative position;

ally attached to the side bar 2d by a bolt 33,

adapted to be adjusted to either of two positions, the lower, or operating position extending well into the path of travel of the chain rollers 7, and the upper, or idle position entirely outside-of that path of travel. Formed in the cam 25 is anelongated longitudinally extending slot 26 through which projects a bolt 27 which also passes through similar slots 28 formed in the side bars 23 and The belt, 27 may be secured in any preferred position of adjustment longitudinally of the slots 26 and 28 by the nut 29 which is screw threaded to said bolt. The pivot bolt 27 serves to support the rearward end of the cam 25 and byits adjustment lonof the slots 26 and 28 the relation the time of opening the valve 11 relative to movements of the bucl'ets 1 and the period of time during wh engage the notchesf3l of the side bars 23 and 24 when the cam 18 in its ope'rating'position, to prevent movement of said cam longitudinally of said side bars, and a locking finger 32 is provided to secure said cam in i The finger 32 is pivotand when in locked position engages the lug i-A, formed on the cam, and a hoolr35 formed on. the side bar 23 to resist upward movecrowd it u nvardly, about its'p vot 18 and transmitting a meat of said cam. A latching pin 36 V81" tically slidable in an aperture of the locking finger 32, is

adapted to engage the lug 37 formed on the side bar 23 to hold said finger in locked position. 1? A handle 38 formed on the cam serves as a convenient means for lilting said cam from its operat-ing'to its idle position, and anotch 39 formed in the cam is arranged to engage the locking finger 32 to support the cam in its idle position. v r

During operation of the feeding mechanism the cam 25 stands in its lower, operative position extending into the path of travel of the chain roller 7, to contact-therewith, and is locked in that position by the locking finger 32. The advancing chain rollers 7 engage the under surface of the cam 25 and h i 1 thereby rotating the'lcvcr thrust to the connecting rod 21 which swings the valve plate 11 to itsopen position permitting material to flow from the nozzle 9. The arrangement and proportions of the parts are such that the valve ,11 will not open until abucket 1 is in position beneath the nozzle 9 to receive material flowing therefrom, and said valve will be againclosed before said bucket has passed from under h said valve remains Adjustment of the pivot bolt 27 longitudinally of the slots26 and 28 changes the relation of the cam 25 to the operating lever 15 tovary the timing of the valve 11', movement frolnthe pivot 18 retarding, and moverod 21, the distance through which the valve 11 will swing may be varied, thereby afi'ording means to control the amount of material which will bedischarged into each successive bucket as itpasses beneath the nozzle 9.

' The lugs 40,formed on the cam 25 near its rearmost end,fare adapted to engage the side bars 23 and 24 to insure against injury to the apparatus by the accidental movement of the rearward end of the cam intoft-he path ot'travel of the chain. rollers 7 while the parts are being adjusted.

I claim: i i

1. la a device of the kind described, the combination with a series of travelling receptacles, a spout adapted to direct material to said receptacles and afvalve controlling said spout;,of valve operating means comprising a lever operatively connected at one end with the valve, means travelling with said receptacles adapted to rock said lever to operate said valve, and means for vary ing the rocking period of said leverwithout variation of the extent of its angular movement.

2. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a series .of travelling receptacles, a spout adapted to direct'material to said receptacles and a valve controlling said spout, of valve operating means comprising a lever having one of its ends in operative connection with said valve, a cam element carried by said lever, means travel- 7 ling with said receptacles and adapted to to said receptacles and a valve controlling said spout, of valve operating means comprising a lever in operative connection with said valve, a cam'element mounted on said lever and projecting laterally therefrom,1ad-- justable means for securing said cam elementto said lever whereby the longitudinal extent of. the cam projection maybe varied, and means travelling with said receptacles adapted to abut said cam element whereby said lever is rocked to operate said valve. said nozzle, thereby preventing material be 'ing spilled bet-ween adjacent buckets of the conveyor; 7 a

ceptacles, at spout adapted to directmaterial to said receptacles and a valve controlling prising a lover in operative connection with said valve, an elongated cam element pivoted adjacentone end to said lever and projecting laterally of the latter, the other end of said cam being swingable across said lever and adjustably securable thereto to vary its longitudinal extent of project-ion, the lateral extent of projection remaining substantially constant, and means travelling with said receptacles and adapted to abut said cam element to rock said lever. p

5. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a series of travelling receptacles, a spout adapted to direct material to said receptacles and a valve controlling said spout; of valve operating means comprising a lever operatively connected at one end with the valve, means traveling with said receptacles adapted to rock said lever to operate said valve, means for varying the rocking period oil said lever without variation of the extent of its angular movement, and means adjustable to vary the extent of opening of said valve.

6. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a series of travelling receptacles, a spout adapted to direct material to said receptacles and a valve controlling said spout, of valve operating means comprising a lever having one of its ends in operative connection with said valve, a cam element carried by said lever, means travelling with said receptacles and adapted to abut said cam element to rock said lever,

means whereby the abutting period of saidcam may be varied without variation of the extent of angular movement of said lever, and means adjustable to vary the extent of opening of said valve.

7. In a feeder of the class descril ed, the combination of a series of receptacles, driv ing means to move said receptacles along a predetermined path, a nozzle positioned to direct material to said receptacles, a closure for said nozzle, a pivotally mounted closure actuating lever, and a lever operating cam mounted and angularly adjustable on said lever and adapted to engage said driving means to operate said lever and closure.

8. In a feeder ot the class described. the combination of a series of receptacles, driving means to move said receptacles along a predetermined path, a nozzle positioned to direct material to said receptacles, a closure for said nozzle, a pivot-ally mounted closure actuating lever, and a lever operating cam mounted on said lever and projecting laterally therefrom, said cam being adjustable relative to said lever to vary its longitudinal extent oi projection and adapted to engage said driving means to operate said lever and closure.

9. In a feeder of the class described, the

cam out of engaging position with said drivmg means.

10. In a device of the kind described, the combinat on with a seriesof travelling receptacles, a spout adapted to directanaterial tosaid receptacles, and a'valve controlling said spout; of valve operating means comprising toggle levers havingt-heir free ends connectea respectively with said valve and an external support, means travelling with said receptacles adapted to actuate said toggle lovers to operate said valve, and means whereby the operative period of said valve may be varied without variation of the oper at-ive stroke of said levers.

11. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a series of travelling recep tacles, a spout adapted to direct material to said receptacles, and a valve controlling said spout; of valve operating means comprising toggle levers having their free ends connected respectively with said valveand an ex TGI'Ilttl'SUPPOFlJ, a cam element carried by one of said levers; means travelling" with said receptacles and adapted to abut said cam element whereby said toggle levers are :ctuated to operate said valve, and means whereby the abutting period of said cam may be varied without variation of the operative stroke, of said levers.

12. In a device of the kind described, the

combination with a series ottravelling receptacles, a spout adapted to direct material to said receptacles, and a valve controlling said spout; of valve operating means comprising toggle levers having their free ends connected respectively with said valve and an external support, said levers having a shiltable intermediate joint whereby their normal angularity may be regulated, one of said levers being adjustable as to length whereby displacement of the other lever from normal position may be compensated upon shifting said intermediate joint, and means travelling with said receptacles and in a uniform path. adapted to actuate said toggle levers to operate said valve.

13. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a series of travelling receptacles, a spout adapted to direct material to said receptacles, and a "alve controlling spout; of valve operating means com prisingtoggle levers having their free ends connected respectively with said valve and an external support, a cam element carried by one of said levers and projecting latercan;

ally therefrom, adjustable means for secnr-.

ing said cam element to said lever whereby the longitudinal extent of the cam projection may be varied, and means travelling with said receptacles in a. uniform path adapted to abutsaid cam element whereby said levers are actuated to operate said valve.

14. In a device of the class described, the combination With a series of travel receptacles, a spout adapted to direct material to said receptacles, and a valve controlling said spout; of valve operating means comprising toggle levers having their free ends connected respectively \vi thsaid valve and an external support, an elongated cam element uniform path adapted to abut said cam element whereby said levers are actuated to operate said valve.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

ALEXIS W. LEMMON. 

